7 Digital Merchandising Strategies to Help You Sell More Cars Today! January 2016

Today you’re hearing from… Alexander Giebel Director of Digital Marketing & Web Merchandising at Stream Companies

What is Web Merchandising? It is more than just adding slides and specials to the site- It is also about providing analytical data and strategies to best position your site for both visitors and robots. To-do: Setup analytics Define primary/ secondary customer personas Walkthrough site as those personas Identify potential pitfalls and opportunities Reconcile with analytics data

ShowroomHomepage Lot Listings Sticker Detail Page

Pain points Is my store in-sync with my website? Does my website have the current specials on it? Can I use my website on my phone? Is my website compliant with manufacturer standards? What website sales tools work best? Am I looking at the right performance data? How can my website sell more cars?

7 Secrets to Digital Merchandising 1.Be Responsive 2.Choose Integrations Wisely 3.Content is King 4.Amplify Calls to Action 5.Reduce Clutter 6.Make Converting Easy 7.Review, Test, & Grow

1. Be Responsive Same display on every device Apply to all pages/ functions/ extensions Use it! And check it often

2. Choose Integrations Wisely Some widgets may take visitors away from your site Can’t control the technical implementations How does the ROI compare to your other efforts?

3. Content is Still King Create authoritative “hub” pages and then “spoke” in complimentary content Earn users trust by providing original and useful information Use content to make the sale, not just “boost SEO”

4. Amplify Calls to Action Some widgets may take visitors away from your site Can’t control the technical implementations How does the ROI compare to your other efforts?

5. Reduce Clutter Homepage visitors do not need see a link to every page on the site Develop conversion path Use event interactions to see what works

6. Make Converting Easy A conversion is a lead gen opportunity or equally important KPI “Don’t Make Me Think” Get the lead first then build the profile as you go

7. Review, Test, & Grow Don’t just “Set it & Forget it” Testing shows winning strategies that may be deployed elsewhere Focusing on these points helps you add new elements more confidently in the future View- 20 vehicles per page View- All

What should I be looking for on my website? Homepage Clear conversion paths Use visual clues to guide visitors through the site Streamlined navigation Reduce the number of paths to keep visitors converting efficiently Promotional messaging Reserve prominent on-page real estate features most impactful specials New features Explore using new functions and tools wisely Integrated marketing strategies Ensure SEO, Paid Search, Inbound Marketing, Social Networking and other disciplines have influence on your site

What should I be looking for on my website? Listing Pages Simple, effective calls to action One good CTA can vastly out perform multiple poor CTAs Pricing breakdown Show the math- MSRP, applicable incentives, dealership discounts Keep visitors on-site Be weary of widgets and integrations that take visitors to another site Have a clear information hierarchy Use design strategies to highlight main details and down play others Multiple photos and/or video Include multimedia in order to best showcase your vehicles

What should I be looking for on my website? Detail Pages Original content Include original content (descriptions) in your layout as much as possible Original photography Show the vehicles as they appear on the lot, not stock images Include local keywords Bake your SEO strategy into your structure Make forms easy to access Feature your primary conversion points prominently, ‘above the fold’ Hours, directions, phone numbers (with call tracking) Should be easy accessible from every level of your site

Takeaways & Action Steps: 1.Be Responsive Ensure your content looks the same across all devices/ displays 2.Choose integrations wisely How does the ROI compare to your other efforts? 3.Content is King Use content to make the sale, not just “boost SEO” 4.Reduce clutter Develop conversion path 5.Amplify calls to action Use visual elements to keep the eye moving on the page 6.Make converting easy “Don’t make me think” 7.Review, Test, & Grow Testing shows winning strategies that may be deployed elsewhere

Questions? Comments? Feedback?

Thank you! Alexander Giebel Director of Digital Marketing & Web Merchandising at Stream Companies